Demonetisation woes: Long queues were back on Tuesday after a three-day banks holiday as millions struggled to withdraw cash across the nation.

People line up outside a private sector bank in Mumbai on Monday.(Hindustan Times)

Tens of hundreds of people formed serpentine queues across the country as banks re-opened on Tuesday after a three-day holiday that had aggravated problems for millions of Indians struggling to withdraw cash after last month’s shock culling of high-value banknotes.

Long queues were also seen at ATMs, most of which had run dry during the extended weekend.

“People have been queuing up since morning to ensure that they got their money…many ATMs had no money in the last couple of days…the ATMs that had money got dry within just a few hours,” said a senior official at a public sector bank in Delhi.

In the Chandni Chowk area, that has dozens of banks on both sides of the main road, long queues extending more than 200 metres could be seen.

“The banks in this area are usually crowded as it is a business hub and traders deals in running currency,” said Mohammad Arif, a trader.

While Saturday and Sunday are regular weekend holidays, banks remained closed on Monday for Id-e-Milad.

A private sector banker said that although about 95 per cent of the two lakh-odd ATMs have been recalibrated, there is cash shortage due to logistics issue. ATMs are fed only once a day and most of them are running out of money shortly due to heavy withdrawals.

Bankers on the condition of anonymity said despite assurances by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government, they are not getting adequate cash from currency chests to meet the withdrawal pressure.